Georgia Southern University - College of Business Administration

Uniting an “excellent academic reputation” with a “reasonable cost,” Georgia Southern University has been conferring graduate business degrees for more than forty years. Today, a Georgia Southern MBA isn’t only for those in the Savannah-Statesboro area. In addition to the college’s long-standing MBA program for professionals, Georgia Southern’s popular “WebMBA program has a good reputation,” as well as AACSB accreditation. Students who need the convenience of an online diploma choose Georgia Southern because the “flexible online format” makes it easy for them to complete their courses from anywhere in the world. For those seeking a more traditional MBA experience, Georgia Southern is also a “well known brick-and-mortar school,” which specifically caters to part-time students.

Whether you choose to attend in person or online, there is a “heavy workload” throughout the program. Live classes are generally interactive, and “you have to stay on your toes” during discussions. Fortunately, “professors genuinely want to see students learn and succeed.” If you need extra assistance, “the majority of professors are very accessible” and “willing to answer questions and address concerns” during office hours or via email. As instructors, Georgia Southern professors are “helpful and knowledgeable” about the topics they teach and always “stay on top of current business trends.” In fact, “many of them are actively researching in their field,” while others bring strong real-world credentials to the classroom. Of particular note, “many of the professors are professionals and consultants, so their experience is invaluable to classroom instruction.” At the same time, students say the program would be improved if the curriculum included “more real-life classes, such as entrepreneurship and negotiation,” as well as “more managerial applications” in coursework.

Currently, Georgia Southern offers two official MBA specialties—health services administration and information systems—as well as an SAP certification. For students who choose to concentrate their studies in health services administration, the school “just opened a new College of Public Health building.” The administration is efficient and generally “runs things in the background without any problems.” “The faculty and staff at Georgia Southern are very helpful and available to answer any questions” students have. Student concerns are listened to and addressed. For example, in the past, there were problems with regards to taking required classes, but “the school is already taking steps to streamline the enrollment process.” As a part of Georgia’s public school system, the MBA is offered at a “very reasonable price.” Overall, for convenience, quality, and cost, this program is “worth every penny.”

Students in Georgia Southern’s part-time and web-based programs are generally work- ing in a professional capacity at the time they start their MBA program. As a result, there are rather limited career services for these students. In fact, many web students say they have very little interaction with the Georgia Southern campus or administration.

For students considering a career change, there is a dedicated career counselor assigned to the College of Business through the university’s Office of Career Services. Students can meet with the counselor for help creating a job search strategy. Students and alumni from the College of Business also have access to all the services offered by the greater Office of Career Services, which include conferences, career development seminars, campus recruiting programs, and internship placements. For those with limited career experience, “many of the programs offered have internships and co-ops built into the curriculum.” Overall, “the university does an excellent job of making resources available to students, particularly given the anemic job market.” However, students would still love to see “more job opportunities at career services.”

The largest higher-learning institution in the Savannah area, “Georgia Southern is a wonderful school located in a great, slow-paced part of Georgia.” The charming campus is situated in the small city of Statesboro, and the university’s “proximity to Savannah” makes it easy for students to commute to work, while also offering access to all the rich cultural life of Georgia’s coastal city. The vast majority of Georgia Southern students are “working professionals with diverse backgrounds and busy lives outside of school.” They join the program “from all walks of life” but share a passion for their careers and education. Academically, the program can get “competitive among classmates,” yet stu- dents are “very cooperative” when working together on group projects.